No, they judge the technical part of the dance, assigning levels 1-4 to the required elements (twizzles, spins, lifts, footwork). There is a judging panel that awards grades of execution for each of the required elements (0-3) and marks for the presentation components (skating skill, choreography, transitions, etc.). Sometimes it happens that the technical panel will assign level 4 to the required elements and the judges only award 5 -6 points for skating skill. This begs the question how skaters could get Level 4 for the required elements, which are all difficult, and still get very low marks for skating skills.

It could also happen that the technical panel will not recognize the existence of the pattern for the required elements of the SD, while the judges will award grades of execution for the non-existent pattern. In short, the left hand (judging panel) does not always know what the right hand is doing (tech panel).

Then there are also gray areas where no one seems to be responsible for. Who marks teams down when there is no recognizable beat in their music? Who dings teams if there is no recognizable change in tempo?

Is it true, that Shin Amano is known for downgrading the jumps of Japanese skaters? In that case, Asada and Murakami are screwed.

He is very strict with UR and < jumps in general, not only with Japanese skaters. If jumps are borderline (as they are sometimes in Mao's and Kanako's cases) I guess he will downgrade/UR the jump. It didn't happen to Miki last year cause hers were fully rotated. I don't think Akiko will have problems either.

I am ok with him being strict as long as the same rules apply to all skaters.

Is it true, that Shin Amano is known for downgrading the jumps of Japanese skaters? In that case, Asada and Murakami are screwed.

He's a pretty by-the-book caller to begin. As far as targeting Japanese skaters, I kept hearing from Japanese fans that Amano was a bit critical of the Japanese Federation back at home, especially so when the tech panels were getting stricter in 2007-2008. He believed they overlooked flawed technique (flutzing, leg-wrap, mule-kick, axel lunge etc.) in favor of skaters who can perform and land difficult jumps.

Nonetheless, at least another member of the technical panel has to agree with him in order for a decision to be made on a technical element.

Amano is more than strict. Remember 2010 Worlds. He downgraded 2 out of the 3 triple axels Mao performed. At least the one in the SP was fully rotated. I don't understand why is he again the Technical specialist for the third time in a row.

Lakernik is wrong for instance in dance the last two tech specialists were american and canadian , and chan is obvioulsy a candidate for gold but germany does not have a tech person on the pairs panel so i guess it evens out.

So he is right, that is what he was saying- the representative of the country-candidate for gold shouldn't be at least in the tech brigade (unwritten rule, as he put it). And what we see in men.... - no Japanese "to even it out".